Anna Mae V McCabe Hays was born on 16 February 1920 in Buffalo, New York, USA. She was married to William Hays. She died on 7 January 2018 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA.
She received a nursing diploma in 1941 from Allentown (Pennsylvania) General Hospital's School of Nursing. Soon after the attack on Pearl Harbor, she joined the Army Nurse Corps. She later earned a bachelor's degree in nursing education and a master's degree in nursing. Her military honors included the Distinguished Service Medal and the Legion of Merit.